A high-speed chase Saturday night ended with a woman's vehicle submerged in the Pacific Ocean near Venice Beach. As reported by CBS Los Angeles, the pursuit began near Temple City at about 11:20 p.m. and ended dramatically when the woman drove into the water after failing to elude the California Highway Patrol.
In a bizarre twist to the chase, the woman, whose identity remains undisclosed, led officers down the I-110 and I-405 before reaching the Venice Beach area. She drove through a parking lot crowded with people and plunged into the ocean, creating quite the spectacle that left onlookers stunned and confused. "Out of nowhere you just hear screeching tires and 'Boom!'" Yerucham Klein told CBS Los Angeles the day following the incident.
Video footage captured the vehicle flying off the beach and into the water, with water spraying high into the air upon impact. After her car was engulfed by the waves, the driver attempted an escape by swimming deeper into the sea. Responding deputies from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department caught up to the woman on a boat, extending a life preserver to bring her safely onboard. Reports indicate that at certain points during the pursuit, the woman was clocking speeds over 100 mph.
Amid the chaos, two dogs thought to be Boston Terriers, were also retrieved from the vehicle, fortunately unharmed. They were taken into the care of animal control officials, as police have stated. The woman, after being apprehended, was hospitalized before being taken into custody. Officials said that the unidentified woman faces potential charges including speeding, evading authorities, and animal, detailed NBC Los Angeles.
The incident drew a large crowd, with onlookers recording as the event unfolded. "The helicopters come out and once they put their spotlight down, we could see that she was still swimming," Fredrick Stevens, who witnessed the drama, said in an interview with NBC Los Angeles.
